Africa RISING WA Project – the history and where we are today

1. Africa RISING WA Project – the history and where we are today I. Hoeschle-Zeledon Africa RISING Coordinator WAAnnual Review and Planning meeting Bamako, Mali, 3-4 February 2014

2. Oct. 2011: Brain storming meeting Bamako, Mali • 3 projects on farming systems intensification • agreement on countries and regions: UER, UWR, NR (Ghana), Sikasso (Mali) • Jan. 2012: Inception workshop Tamale, Ghana • CN presentation • need for a clear research framework (approach and context, research hypotheses, trial design) • need for appropriate action and control site selection => fast track work plan building on existing work to produce results by September 2012 • The Start

3. Feb. 2012: decision on Program approach with 3 regional projects; name: Africa RISING Africa RISING = Africa Research In Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation • June - December: implementation of year 1 field activities in both countries • Sept.-December: draft work plans for 2013 • Next steps

4. Throughout 2012: • Site characterization and selection of future action and control sites (socio-economic and biophysical characteristics: length of growing period, market access) • Program research framework • M&E plan • Program communication strategy • Program and Project management structure • (Rules of engagement with farmers, genderstrategy)

5. Africa RISING Program Bullet Bullet

6. Research Framework • Research Framework

7. January: Stakeholder meeting in Accra; first Steering Committee meeting • Approval of work plans deferred; issues of site and activity integration; scale of operations; proposed research too conventional, little innovative; need for farming systems approach • Mali, Ethiopia and Ghana identified the various experimentally relevant scales at which they work. • Differences in the terminology and divergent assumptions about what methodological approaches to take, and at what experimental scales to apply these approaches; • Source of miscommunication and misunderstanding across the program • 2013

8. March: program-wide research methodology meeting • Agreement on terminology and scales • Adoption of proposed farming systems analysis proposal (RO1) to inform RO2 activities • functional farm typologies, identification of entry points, ex-ante assessment of technology options, farm typology specific priority setting & planning for integrated systems improvement • April – May: Revision of draft work plans for 2013, development of a set of regional research hypotheses • June- December: Implementation of field activities • Branding guidelines for coherent identity across all projects and increased visibility http://africa-rising.wikispaces.com/comms_tools • 2013

9. Sub-agreements in 2013

10. MoU with ACDI/VOCA ADVANCE project (Ghana, expired) • Discussions under way with ATT- Project (Ghana) • FARMSEM Project Mali ??? • MoU with Heifer International in Ghana • Collaboration with development projects

11. AfricaRice withdrew in March 2013 • Political situation in Mali: exclusion of government institutions from funding, travel restrictions • Lack of baseline surveys to guide research interventions • Late recruitment of regional M&E officer • Farming systems analysis not yet completed • Staff fluctuation in partner organizations • Key partners not present at research sites • Implementation challenges

12. August 2012: visit of US Congressional delegation to Ghana project sites • July 2013: donor visit to Ghana project sites • September 2013: Program-wide learning event • October 2013: exchange visit of Ghana researchers to Mali • Last week: USAID visit to Mali sites • Special events

13. Programme Management Structure Program Coordination Team (IITA, ILRI, IFPRI, USAID) Science Advisory Group Communications Team (ILRI) Monitoring and Evaluation Team (IFPRI) West Africa Project Steering Committee (IITA) Ethiopian Highlands Project Steering Committee (ILRI) E&SA Project Steering Committee (IITA)